He who returns a word before he will hear, folly itself [belongs] to him as well as shame.

The lot will put an end to disputes, and between powerful contenders it will decide.

A man of [many] friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

As for the folly of humankind, its way leads to ruin, and against Yahweh his heart will rage.

He who acquires wisdom loves himself; he who guards understanding [loves] to find good.

For a fool living in luxury is not fitting, [any] more [than it is] for a slave to rule over princes.

The understanding of a person makes him slow to his {anger}, and his glory overlooks offense.

The rage of a king growls like a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

A foolish child is a ruin to his father, and the quarreling of a woman is a continuous dripping.

He who lends to Yahweh [is] he who is kind to the poor, and his benefits he will repay to him.

Discipline your child, for there is hope, but on his destruction do not set your desire.

A hot-tempered person pays a penalty; if you rescue [him], you will do [it] yet again.

Listen [to] advice and accept instruction so that you will gain wisdom for your {future}.

The craving of a man [is] his steadfast loyalty, and [it is] better [to be] poor than a {liar}.

Fear of Yahweh [leads] to life; he who is filled [with it] will rest--he will not suffer harm.

A lazy person buries his hand in the dish, and even to his mouth he will not bring it back.

He who does violence to a father, he who chases away a mother, [is] a child who causes shame and brings reproach.

Cease to listen to instruction, my child, {and you will stray} from sayings of knowledge.

[It is] honorable for the man to refrain from strife, but every fool will be quick to quarrel.

Do not love sleep, lest you become poor; open your eyes [and] have plenty bread.

"Bad, bad," the buyer will say, but [when] one goes to him, then he will boast.

Take his garment, for he has given security [to] a stranger, and on behalf of a foreigner--take it as pledge.

He reveals a secret, he who walks [about with] gossip, and do not associate with a babbler's lips.

Do not say "I will repay evil"; wait for Yahweh and he will deliver you.

[It is] a snare to humankind to say rashly "[It is] holy," and after vows, to scrutinize.

Doing righteousness and justice is [more] acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice.

The plans of the diligent only [lead] to abundance, but all who are hasty, only to want.

The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, for they refuse to do justice.

Better to dwell on the corner of a roof than [to] share a house with a woman of contention.

The righteous observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked to ruin.

[It is] a joy to the righteous to do justice, but dismay to those who do evil.

Better to live in a land of wilderness than [with] a wife of quarrels and provocation.

To a city of warriors, the wise ascends, and he will bring down the stronghold--its object of trust.

The craving of a lazy person will kill him, for his hands refuse to work.

{All day} he craves a craving, but the righteous will give and not hold back.

There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel to oppose Yahweh.

A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but to Yahweh [belongs] the victory.

A {reputation} [is] to be chosen {rather than} great riches; {favor is better than silver and gold}.

He [who] {is generous} will be blessed, for he gives to the poor from his [own] bread.

He who oppresses the poor [in order] to enrich himself, [or] gives to the rich, {will come to poverty}.

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise; you shall apply your heart to my teaching.

[In order] for your trust to be in Yahweh, I have made [them] known to you {today}--even you.

[In order] to show you what is right--sayings of truth-- [in order] to return a true saying to him who sent you.

Do not rob the poor because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate;

Do not befriend an owner of {anger}, and with a man of wrath you shall not associate;

lest you learn his way and become entangled in a snare to yourself.

Do not be with those who {give a pledge} {by becoming} surety.

If there is nothing for you to pay, why will he take your bed from under you?

Do not remove an ancient boundary marker which your ancestors made.

When you sit to eat with a ruler, you shall surely observe what [is] before you,

and you shall put a knife to your throat if you have a {big appetite}.

Do not desire his delicacies, for it is food of deception.

Do not tire [in order] to become rich; out of your understanding, [may you] desist

Your eyes will {alight} on it, but there is nothing [to] it, for suddenly it will make for itself wings like an eagle and it will be exhausted [in] the heavens.

Do not eat the bread of {the stingy}, and do not desire his delicacies.

For, like hair in his {throat}, so it is. "Eat and drink!" he will say to you, but his heart will not be with you.

In the ears of a fool do not speak, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Do not remove an ancient boundary marker, and on the fields of orphans do not encroach;

Apply your heart to instruction, and your ear to sayings of knowledge.

Do not withhold discipline from a child, if you will beat him with the rod, he will not die.

May your heart not envy the sinners, but [live] in fear of Yahweh {all day}.

Do not be among drinkers of wine, among gluttonous eaters of {their meat}.

Listen to your father--he who {gave you life}, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Buy truth and do not sell [it], wisdom and instruction and understanding.

My child, may you give your heart to me, and may your eyes delight in my ways.

To whom [is] woe? To whom [is] sorrow? To whom [are] quarrels? To whom [is] complaint? To whom [are] wounds without cause? To whom [is] redness of [the] eyes?

To those who linger over wine, to those who come to try mixed wine.

Do not look at wine when it is red, when it {sparkles} on the cup, going down smoothly.

Do not envy men of evil, and do not desire to be with them.

Wisdom [is too] high for fools; at the gate he will not open his mouth.

He who plans to do evil for himself, they will call [him] "master of mischief."

Devising folly [is] a sin, and an abomination to humankind [is] a scoffer.

[If] you faint on the day of adversity, little [is] your strength.

Rescue those who are led away to the death and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back,

if you say, "Look, we do not know this," does not he who weighs hearts perceive [it]? And he who keeps your soul, he knows and will repay humankind according to his deeds.

My child, eat honey, for [it is] good, and the dripping of the honeycomb [is] sweet to your taste.

Do not lie in wait [like] an outlaw against the home of the righteous; do not do violence [to] his dwelling place.

While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice; when he trips himself, may your heart not be glad

Do not fret because of the evildoers; do not envy the wicked.

For there will not be a future for the evil; the lamp of the wicked will die out.

Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king; with those who change, do not associate.

Whoever says to the guilty, "You are righteous," the people will curse him; the nations will abhor him.

Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor nor deceive with your lips.

Do not say, "Just as he has done to me, so shall I do to him; I will pay back the man according to his deed."

As heaven is to height and the earth is to depth, so [is] the heart of kings--there is no searching.

Do not promote yourself before the king, and in the place of the great ones do not stand.

For [it is] better [that] he say to you, "Ascend here," than he humble you before a noble. What your eyes have seen,

do not hastily bring out to court, for what will you do at its end, when your neighbor puts you to shame?

Argue your argument with your neighbor [himself], the secret of another do not disclose,

A ring of gold and an ornament of fine gold [is] a rebuke of the wise to the ear of a listener.

Like the cold of snow on a day of harvest [is] a faithful messenger to those who send him, and the soul of his master is refreshed.

[Like] clouds and wind when there is no rain, [so too is] a man who boasts in a gift of deception.

[Like] one who removes a garment on a cold day, [or like] vinegar on natron, [is] he who sings songs to a heavy heart.

Better to live upon the corner of a roof than [with] a woman of contention and [in a] shared house.

[Like] cold water upon a weary soul, [so too is] good news from a distant place.

To eat much honey is not good, nor [is] seeking one's honor honorable.

Like the sparrow [is] to fluttering and like the swallow [is] to flying, so an undeserved curse does not go forth.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly lest you become like him--even you.

Answer a fool according to his folly, or else he will be wise in his own eyes.

Like binding a stone in a sling, so [is] giving honor to a fool.